Calumet Invite Produces Northern Stars
September 18, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The Calumet Invitational dates back roughly 30 years as an annual staple of the cross country schedule for schools at the northernmost tip of Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
A creative move by the Copper Kings last year added some statewide prestige to the event.
Last week, for the second season, Calumet ran the series of races at Keweenaw Mountain Lodge, a resort near Copper Harbor and the northern bank of the Keweenaw Peninsula.
Calumet is the northernmost high school in Michigan. And moving this race another 35 miles northeast more or less guaranteed it's the northernmost event run in the state.
"We figured it was pretty safe. We're the northernmost school in the state, and you can only go four more miles and you're in Lake Superior," Calumet athletic director Sean Jacques said. "Nobody else is going to do anything more north than that."
A total of 10 schools were represented this fall in the races for boys and girls varsity, junior varsity and middle schoolers.
Jacques said the event formerly was run at a golf course in Calumet. But a few years ago, Calumet graduate and former Copper Kings cross country runner Dan Harri moved home from Florida to become general manager at the Mountain Lodge (he's also a renowned chef and has owned restaurants in Miami with Hall of Fame Dolphins coach Don Shula).
Harri had asked a few times about bringing a cross country or golf event to the lodge. Jacques told him last year they'd give it a try, so Harri set up a course that includes golf course, a couple of bridges, trails and finishes with a climb on the No. 1 fairway. It also provides various points for fans to watch runners go by, not always available on other courses.
"We were looking for a little bit of a change, and it's a beautiful course," Jacques said. "We thought if people were willing to make the extra drive, it would be really nice."
Calumet won the boys race this season, just ahead of runner-up Houghton. Houghton's girls were victorious, followed by the host Copper Kings.
Click to read more about this year's event from the Houghton Mining Gazette.
Michigan's claim to an NFL evolution
As part of its NFL preview this month, Sports Illustrated reported on one of the most significant developments for offenses over the last few decades – the silent snap count, which is used regularly by visiting teams because offensive linemen can’t hear the quarterback calling for the ball over the clamor of the home crowd.
And the article explained that the silent snap count might’ve gotten its start at one of Michigan’s smallest high schools – Flint’s Michigan School for the Deaf.
Offensive linemen during the 1980s were feasted on by pass rushers like Lawrence Taylor and Bruce Smith, who built record sack totals by blasting past blockers who seemed a step slow. Turns out, that was true. Defensive players were getting an edge by attacking as soon as they saw the ball move. But blockers (especially offensive tackles), focused instead on the defensive ends and linebackers lined up across from them, and didn’t have the luxury of watching the ball – and since they also couldn’t hear the snap count, started each play a step behind.
Enter the silent count. The quarterback signals to the center that he is ready to receive the ball (with a pat on the back, by raising a foot, etc.). The center then raises his head, and after a predetermined count of at least one second snaps the ball without a sound. This means an offensive tackle doesn’t have to listen for a snap count – he just counts after seeing the center get set.
The SI report recognized longtime offensive line coach Howard Mudd as the guru of the silent snap count. But Mudd recalled a conversation he’d had while working for the Seattle Seahawks with another coach, the late Andy MacDonald, who also had coached early in his career at a school for the deaf in Michigan.
The article doesn’t mention Michigan School for the Deaf by name. But it seems to make sense that the Tartars were the first to use the now-revolutionary count. MacDonald – who played at Central Michigan University and went on to coach at Michigan State and four other colleges and also for the Buffalo Bills – grew up in Flint and attended Flint Northern before playing for the Chippewas from 1950-53. The historical web site Michigan-football.com has results for Flint’s Michigan School for the Deaf dating to 1950, making it a decent assumption that MacDonald might’ve gotten in a little early coaching experience at the school down the road from his home.
Click for the SI story and go to page 4 for the mention of Michigan’s school.
Michigan mourns trooper, running standout
The law enforcement community is mourning the death of Michigan State Police trooper Paul Butterfield, who was shot Sept. 9 during a traffic stop in Mason County. He also was a well-known distance runner during the 1980s and the MHSAA Class A cross country champion running for Bridgeport in 1987.
According to a Ludington Daily News report, Butterfield continued running after high school at the University of Tennessee, and also competed at the 1989 Pan American Junior Games in Argentina.
Butterfield was stationed in Hart after previously serving in Manistee, and lived in Mason County. He also had served in the U.S. Army. Click to read more from the Ludington Daily News.
PHOTO: Calumet's Chelsea Jacques (right) won this season's Calumet Invitational with a time of 21:08.06, just ahead of Ironwood's Jessica Gering at 21:46.16. (Photo courtesy of Calumet athletic department.)
Country Day Bounces Back from Regional Disappointment to Repeat as Finals Champ
June 1, 2025
ANN ARBOR – Advantage Detroit Country Day – at least for now.
That’s the kind of rivalry the Yellowjackets have formed with Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood as they’ve combined to win the last 15 Lower Peninsula Division 3 girls tennis championships.
Just this season, the pair of powerhouses tied in a dual match April 16 before Cranbrook won the Regional by two points two weeks ago – and Country Day took back the lead in the never-ending race by clinching the latest LPD3 Finals title by two points Saturday at University of Michigan.
The Yellowjackets finished the weekend tournament with 34 points to Cranbrook’s 32, losing all four head-to-head flight championship matchups to the Cranes but banking enough points elsewhere to emerge with their second-straight Finals title.
Freshman Karishma Vakhariya’s flight clincher at No. 3 singles and junior Helen Benjamin’s at No. 4 put the finishing touches on the latest triumph.
“It’s always close between us and Cranbrook,” said Benjamin, who repeated as a flight winner after taking the title at No. 3 a year ago. “The cheering gets a little competitive, the matches get competitive. I mean, it’s been a rivalry forever.”
Benjamin was top-seeded at No. 4 and clinched her flight with a 6-3, 6-2, win over Holland Christian sophomore Iyla Holmes.
Vakhariya worked through more of a challenge in her No. 3 decider, defeating Bloomfield Hills Marian senior Anya Nix 6-3 in the first set before falling 6-1 in the second and coming back to win the third set 6-0.
“I just tried to not get upset, at least on the outside, because I know that definitely when your opponent can see that you’re mad it can affect the entire match and make you lose yourself,” Vakhariya said. “(It was matter of) doing what I did in the first set and not the second one, and whatever her weaknesses trying to hit to that instead of just getting upset and hitting wherever.”
Country Day’s other flight championship came at No. 4 doubles, where senior Katherine Chen and freshman Grace Kalkanis pulled out some of the most important points of the weekend. Entering as the fourth seed, they won their championship match 6-1, 6-1, over second-seeded juniors Sage Gabriel-Menegay and Brooklyn Angel of Chelsea. But perhaps more significant was Chen and Kalkanis’ semifinal win over the top-seeded Cranbrook duo of senior Katelyn Dubrowsky and sophomore Brianna Giudici.
“What happened after Regionals, I’d say was a little bit of fuel for us,” Country Day coach Nicholas Fiaschetti said. “The past couple of weeks, we’ve just been on it every single day at our practices. We came out here and handled our nerves, and from there everybody was amazing.”
Cranbrook won four flight championships, let by top-seeded senior Chloe Qin’s 6-0, 6-0, win at No. 1 singles over second-seeded Country Day senior Sophia Grzesiak, last season’s No. 1 champion. Qin hadn’t played high school tennis the last two seasons and had finished as part of a flight runner-up at No. 1 doubles as a freshman.
“I think I played really solid, moving all over, doing my best and figuring things out,” Qin said. “Even though there was a little bit of adversity throughout, I felt like we played a fair match and played super solid, and I think as a senior it was a really good win for me and I’m really glad I could close it out. … It’s feels like a full-circle moment. I’m just proud of myself and happy with how I stuck to my gameplan and got it done as efficiently as possible.”
Cranes freshman Caroline Liu carried her top seed at No. 2 singles through to the championship, with seniors Ava Clogg and Chiara Martella at No. 1 doubles and seniors Sophia Kouza and Madeline Day at No. 2 doubles achieving the same.
Bloomfield Hills Marian sophomores Stella Glorio and Lexa Hindo also carried their top seed to the title at No. 3 doubles.
PHOTOS (Top) Detroit Country Day’s Helen Benjamin returns a volleyball during her No. 4 singles match Saturday. (Middle) Cranbrook’s Caroline Liu follows through on a forehand during her No. 2 singles finale. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)